Means for regulating the elasticity of car-springs and means for storing air



Patented Oct. 28,1890.

WI IHIHHIUHIN H. MGM. MINTON. MEANS FOR REGULAIING THE BLASTIGITY 0F GARSPRINGS AND MEANS FOR STORING AIR.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH MOHILLAN MINTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MEANS FOR REGULATlNG THE ELASTICITY 10F CAR-SPRINGS AND MEANS FORSTORING AIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed June '7, 1890.

Patent No. 439,302, dated October 28, 1890.

Serial No. 354,645- (No model.)

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, HUGH MCMILLA MIN- TON, of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theSystemof Regulating the Elasticity of Car-Springs and of Storing Air byVibration of Railway-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to fluid apparatus for railway-cars; audit consistsin the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of deviceshereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of arailway-car having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is a detailed viewof an elliptic spring having one of my storing-cylinders appliedthereto, the cylinder being shown in the section.

My invention consists of a system wherein an airpump or compressor or aseries of them provided with suitable valves and tubing is made use offor storing in a reservoir located on the car, by the vibration,jolting, or rolling of the car, compressed air, which may be used forapplying brakes to the car-wheels or for any other purpose desired.

1 is the car body or frame, supported upon the usual truck-frame 2, andthis in turn being provided with the usual axle-boxes 3.

4 is the lower portion of the truck-frame, which is modeled upon theaxle-boxes, and 5 and 6 are the usual upper and lower transverse beams,respectively, between which the car-springs are usually located.

26 indicates the piston-rods of a series of air-compressing cylinders orpumps 7, the upper ends of which rods are attached to the upper portionof the truck-frame 2 or to some portion of the car-body, while the lowerends carry a piston 9, provided with the usual packing devices. Thesecylinders are preferably single-acting, provided with aninwardly-opening valve 10 at one side and with an inwardly-closing valve11 mounted upon the lower ends, and a suitable pipe or tube 12 connectswith the discharge-valve. opening and leads the air as it is compressedto a main pipe 13,1ocated below the cylinders or in any suitableposition, and a flexible tube or hose 14 connects this main pipe with astoragereservoir 15, mounted beneath the body of the car, and anotherpipe 18 is connected to this air to the brake-cylinders or to any othersuitable locality where it is to be used.

The reservoir 16 is provided with a pressure-gage 17, for obviouspurposes, and it is also provided with a safety-valve 16, which iscapable of adjustment and whereby the pressure in the reservoir, andconsequently the elasticity of the springs, may be varied, as will bereferred to farther on. The main feedpipe 13, also the hose let, leadingto the reservoir, may be provided with suitable shut-off valves-such as22-as may also the brakepipe 18. p

I may make use of elliptic, coil, or nest springs in carrying out myinvention, the only essential point being that a cylinder having apiston be located in connection with said springs, whereby when thesprings are compressed by the vibration of the car in traveling over arailroad-track air will be compressed in the separate reservoir and theelasticity of said springs will be varied and controlled by the pressurein said reservoir, and it in turn will be controlled by a safetyvalvethat is capable of adjustment. Thus it will be seen that the strength orelasticity of the springs depends on the pressure of air in thereservoir, which pressure is automatically controlled by a safety-valve,and whereby said springs may be made stronger or lighter, as theoccasion of heavy or light loads demands. Further, by the use of myinven tion the vibratory, jolting, or rolling motion of a railway car orvehicle and the force thereof heretofore unused is stored in the form ofcompressed fluid, which is used for applying brakes or to operate othermechanical appliances that are capable of being so operated bycompressed air on a railway-car. It is also obvious that the brake-pipe18 can be extended forward to the locomotive-en gine when an engine iscoupled to the car, whereby the air from the reservoirmay be used onsaid engine to run a pump or an air engine.

In operation, the valve 22 being opened and the car put in usual motionupon the railwaytrack, the piston 9 will be reciprocated withinreservoir for the purpose of leading the stored the cylinder 7 and airwill be stored in reservoir 15 until the limit of pressure controlled bysafety-valve 16 is reached, and by operating suitable brake-Valves inpipe 18 air will be discharged from said reservoir into thebrake-cylinders or other brake apparatus, and the brake-shoes 19 may beapplied to the wheels or released therefrom, as occasion may demand. Byadjusting 'the safety-valve 16, which may be of the usual construction,the pressure in the reservoir, and consequently the pressure uponthe'pistons 9 and the e1asticity of the springs 8, may be regulated forthe purpose before mentioned.

It is obvious that other forms of cylinders or pistons can be used inplace of the cylinder and piston which I here show, and the same resultswill be produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Theherein-described system of storing air and of regulating the elasticityof carsprings by the movement or vibration of railway-cars, whichconsists in storing air under pressure by a movement or vibration of therailway-car, varying the pressure of the air in the storage-chamber bymeans of asuitable valve or valves, and making use of said variedpressure to limit the degree of vibration of the car-springs,substantially as herein set go forth.

2. A fluid-pressure apparatus for railwaycars, consisting of a cylinderprovided with a piston and suitable valves, in combination with acar-truck and its springs, a reservoir 35 separate from said cylinder,into which air is adapted to be pumped by said cylinder and piston bymovement or vibration of the car,

a safety-valve applied to the pipe or tube which connects said cylinderand said reser- 4o voir, and a discharge-pipe leading from saidreservoir, all co-operating, substantially as described, to store airand to limit the degree of the vibration of the car-springs.

3. The combination, with a car-truck and 5 its springs, of air-pumpslocated within said springs, a storage-reservoir, and connectionsbetween said pumps and reservoir, whereby air is stored in saidreservoir by the vibrations of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HUGH MCMILLAN MINTON. lVitnesses:

B. H. LoEWENsTEIN, O. R. H. DAVIS.

